Our new lease with the City of Waterloo is scheduled to go to Council for approval at the end of the month. With it's approval there will be new rules for rentals. They include: 

• Proof of insurance will be required for all rentals (we are working on facilitating affordable options, especial for meeting/rehearsal bookings without an audience and closed to the public. 

• Our building occupancy load has been cut in half- so when our visual arts programming is happening on the second floor, the number of people allowed on the first floor will be significantly smaller than our prior rental space allowed. 

• There are new and substantial restrictions on allowable appliances and food preperation and serving practices. 

• All rentals will be staffed by Button Factory Arts Centre staff and volunteers. No renters will have keys. 

​

We are currently drafting new rental contracts that reflect the new limitations. We are also creating booking information for rental attendance limits based on the time of day and the day of the week and pricing to match. 

​

Other Key Changs: 

​​​

• There are no institutional memberships or member discounts on rentals. 

• Rentals have access to the first floor only for their events. 

• Upgrades to the space will be on going with new lighting, sound and projection systems being installed next though Spring 2026.

• The structural pillars on the first floor remain, with at least two situated within the main performance area.

• Access to the space is  restricted to activities directly or indirectly related to the fine arts (ie. a concert or a fundraiser for an arts organization). 

• Rental availability will be shaped by our own programming needs and will primarily be limited to weekday daytime hours (outside of school holidays) and weekends.

• Rentals will move from an hourly model to longer blocks (e.g., four hours or more).

​

We understand that these changes may exclude some of our previous renters, and we recognize the impact this may have. However, our goal is to maintain a viable and sustainable performing arts space that complies with building code limitations while prioritizing the needs of performing artists and arts organizations. This focus aligns with our mission and is essential to maintaining our funding and partnership with the City of Waterloo.